The present invention relates to an improved paint striper of the type utilized to paint stripes on pavements, parking lots and the like.
By way of background, paint stripers are in common usage for laying down painted stripes on highways, crosswalks, factory floors, and the like. There are generally two types of paint stripers which are used. One type applies high pressure in the range of 2500 psi to paint to provide an atomized spray of paint by forcing the paint through a very small nozzle to project it on the surface which is being striped. However, sprayers of this type have the drawback that the atomized paint provides an "over-spray" which causes paint to be deposited laterally outwardly of the desired area. There is also another general type of paint striper which forces paint from a nozzle by applying pressure to the paint within a container, this pressure usually being applied by means of a piston which applies pressure to the paint between about 15 and 30 psi. However, it has been found that the spray which is being projected onto the surface has a "bounce-back" which causes the paint to rebound from the surface and splatter laterally outwardly beyond the designated spray area. There is also another type of striper in existence which uses a piston air compressor, which in turn provides air pressure in the range of 5 to 100 psi to a sealed tank filled with paint. The air pressure within this tank forces the paint under pressure to a spray nozzle. Simultaneously, air pressure from the piston air compressor is introduced into the paint exiting the spray nozzle or before the paint leaves the nozzle. The purpose of this air introduction is to atomize the paint to reduce bounce-back and overspray. However, this type of machine tends to be quite complicated, noisy, and requires constant maintenance.
By way of further background, there are instances where a small manually operable paint striper is required, as in painting stripes on parking lots, crosswalks, floors of factories, and the like. It is with an improved manually operable paint striper of the foregoing type and which does not have the above drawbacks that the present invention is concerned.